'Life-Threatening' Tornadoes, Hail Hit Midwest

More than a dozen possible tornadoes were reported today as forecasters warned residents across the nation's midsection to brace for "life-threatening" weather. An apparent tornado took down barns, outbuildings, and large trees in southeast Nebraska, and Johnson County emergency director Clint Strayhorn said he was still trying to determine how long the twister was on the ground and how much damage it did. "I'm on a 2-mile stretch that this thing is on the ground and I haven't even gotten to the end of it yet," he said as he walked the path of destruction near the Johnson-Nemaha county line.

In northeast Nebraska, baseball-sized hail damaged vehicles, shattered windows, and tore siding from houses in and around Petersburg, about 140 miles northwest of Omaha. Two possible tornadoes were reported farther south in Nebraska near the Kansas border and as many as 10 others were reported in largely rural parts of western and central Kansas. The most dangerous weather was expected to come later, and National Weather Service officials issued a stern warning for residents to prepare for overnight storms that could spawn fast-moving tornadoes. Officials said a large area could be at risk for dangerous storms. (More severe weather stories.)